When the Example Died

“Where did Charlie run to again? There’s a warning for a super hurricane tonight!”

Mom was pacing the floor in the house.

The sky had turned ominously dark outside, the wind blowing up the leaves into a whirlwind.

The announcement on the radio was repeating itself for the third time.

“Red alert, the entire town is to evacuate right away. Gather at the entrance of the town in 20 minutes where an emergency vehicle will be waiting!”

Mom turned to glare at me with fury in her eyes. “You! Hurry up and go find your younger brother!”

I glanced at the window.

The rain wasn’t falling; it was pouring.

The wind was blowing so hard at the trees, they were bending over and almost touching the ground. Some of the chicken cages by the walls of the courtyard had toppled. The chickens had escaped, running under the eaves for shelter.

“Mom, Charlie said he went to his classmate’s house. He’s outside right now…”

“I don’t care whose house he went to! Go find him right away and don’t come back until you do!” Mom yelled, cutting me off.

I subconsciously turned to look at Dad seated at a corner. His lips moved as he said, “It is very windy outside. Why don’t we wait…”

“Shut up!” Mom went on without turning her head. “Can you bear the responsibility if anything were to happen to Charlie?”

Dad’s voice faded away.

I put on my sandals, which were coming apart at the soles, and opened the door. The wind almost knocked me off my feet.

I walked cautiously, my back flat against the wall. The rainwater level had reached my heels. I was about to head west when I saw Charlie’s classmate running toward our house.

“Oh, the wind is so refreshing!”

A gleeful chuckle came from behind him. I turned and saw my brother running excitedly out of an alley, his wet hair sticking to his cheek.

Mom had rushed to the main door.

She wrapped Charlie in a tight hug and surveyed him from head to toe, her trembling voice betraying the heartache and lingering fear she was feeling.

“You’re finally back! Did you get caught in the storm? Do you feel cold? Hurry in and get changed. Don’t catch a cold.”

I stood in the middle of the storm, my entire body drenched and shivering in the cold wind.

Mom didn’t spare me a glance.

Just then, the emergency vehicle arrived.

Its headlights pierced through the darkness as it announced through its speakers, “All townsfolk, please get in! Evacuate the town right away!”

Mom wrapped Charlie up in a thick blanket and stuffed him in the back seat of the vehicle.

I followed behind him, but before I even managed to step into the vehicle, Mom asked, “What are you doing?”

She stopped me from entering the vehicle.

“You know the rules. Your brother went out in the middle of the night and almost couldn’t make it home because he was having too much fun. Stay here so he knows what fear feels like.”

I stood stunned.

Charlie leaned anxiously into the window and yelled, “No, Mom! Charles will be in danger! The hurricane outside…”

“Do you finally feel scared now? Why didn’t you consider this when you went out playing?” Mom cut him off fiercely. “Charles is being punished because of you!”

Charlie shrunk back at Mom’s rebuke, tears falling down his cheeks.

The other townspeople couldn’t stand it any longer.

“Mrs. Sheppard, we’re talking about a super hurricane here! People can die! Your house stands no chance against it!”

Mom remained stubbornly unmoved. She turned to walk back into the house. When she came back out, she had our pet dog Mustard in her arms.

She settled Mustard in the last empty seat in the emergency vehicle and said self-righteously, “Mustard is an animal and doesn’t know how to hide from danger. I’ve got to bring it along.”

She looked up at me.

“Charles, you’re a human. You know where to hide.”

Dad, who was seated in the first row, opened his mouth to speak.

Mom cast him a sideway glance, which made him turn to look out the window instead.

The door to the emergency vehicle was shut. Through the rain-pelted car windows, I saw Charlie plastering his face against the window, pounding it hard as he yelled something.

But the wind and rain were too strong, I couldn't make out what he was yelling.

Mom forcefully turned his face away so he couldn’t see me.

The engine sputtered to life as the vehicle drove away, the red rear lights vanishing into the distance.

I eventually lost sight of the vehicle completely.

The streetlights in Lovelle Town slowly went out one by one.

I was the only one left in the storm.

Suddenly, someone yelled in the darkness.

“There’s space here!”